BIOGRAPHY

Hello and welcome! My name is Andrew Kerr and I am originally from Centerville, Ohio. I'm currently a senior and will be graduating this Spring with a bachelor's degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering. I've always been a total engi-nerd, competing on science teams and sporting a calculator watch since high school (and yes, I do use the calculator function!). But even though I see the world through a technical lens, I'm guided by my outgoing personality and adventurous spirit. Most days you can find me relaxing or doing homework with friends- except Sundays, when I’m glued to the couch watching the Buffalo Bills. When things aren’t going well (like after Bills’ games), I only need a jar of peanut butter and a Taylor Swift song to shake it off.

PERSONAL STATEMENT

Cancer is a horrible thing that no one should have to endure- yet we all seem to know someone who has. My grandfather, grandmother, and great aunt (an honorary grandma to me) have all suffered through cancer. While my grandmother and great aunt were fortunate to survive breast cancer, my grandfather passed away from colon cancer before I got the chance to really know him. I believe that we all, as people, have a duty to help others. While I’ve donated time and money to organizations in the past, I’ve never fully dedicated myself to helping another person or cause. Service projects were just brief interruptions and monetary donations just meant cutting back on one or two restaurant tabs. The Illini 4000 provides us riders with the opportunity to fully commit ourselves to a cause that will make the world a better place for our families, friends, and generations to come.